


The dangers of fresh herbs

by Renaisty



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: F/F, Falling In Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 19:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9253436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Renaisty/pseuds/Renaisty
Summary: "Hope… is something I never thought I'd have. You, somehow, even when I rejected it, gave me hope."





	

**Author's Note:**

> I was dying to make something for them, but I wasn't sure what. This was inspired by a post I saw on Tumblr the other day, and it was so perfect for them I just had to write this. Enjoy!

It was so _frustrating_. Being saved by Moriyama Shiemi, _again_. Now she had to pay it back. She definitely had to pay it back.

But it didn't look like she would get the chance anytime soon.

"What? What do you mean a month?!" Izumo asked Okumura-sensei, appalled.

"You need to take this medication," he said calmly as he was writing a few lines down, "three times a day for a month Kamiki-san. The poison you got infected with has been removed thanks to the efforts of Moriyama-san, but it's a tricky one. We need to be careful or it might still put your life in danger." He handed her the paper. "Please give the prescription to the exorcist shop so they can make it."

It was _maddening_. She was dependent on her, again. After all that. Izumo huffed and puffed all the way to the dorms, but she did go to the shop the next day to get what Okumura-sensei had written.

Moriyama Shiemi was there, _of course,_ because Izumo's luck had run out many, many years ago. She slid the paper over, muttering a thank you. She was angry, but at herself, not at her.

Not anymore.

"Hmm, I see," her mother mumbled. "It'll be ready in a few minutes, you can wait here with Shiemi until then."

"Thanks." No, not thanks, not at all. Moriyama was reminding her of all her failures, and all her weaknesses. How could this girl have become so strong so fast, while she, Izumo, couldn't even keep what strength she had?

"So, Kamiki-san, are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, there's nothing wrong."

"I'm glad," Shiemi smiled wide, her eyes shining. Izumo felt her anger drain away. It was okay, she was going to keep working on it, just like Moriyama, and it would be fine.

"Excuse me," Shiemi left for a moment while her mother was wrapping the medicine up. Izumo reached into her pocket to take some money, but the woman shook her head. "The school covers the expense."

"Oh, alright." She took the package, motioning goodbye to a waving Shiemi, and went back out, where everything made sense and Moriyama's smile wasn't tricking her into thinking everything was fine. She still had a debt to repay anyway.

At the dorm, she opened the package to see not just a vial, but a small note. She assumed it was instructions or information, but all she saw on it was a little doodle of one of the herbs in the medicine and a simple 'I'm sure everything will turn out alright' written next to it.

"Moriyama!!" she screamed, startling Paku out of her sleepy attempt at doing homework.

Maybe what made her so angry was how much that little thing really made her feel better.

…

The herbs needed to be fresh, and that was her downfall. She couldn't just take one big bottle of medicine at once and be done with it.

Shiemi's little cute messages didn't stop. Twice a week, Izumo paid a visit to the shop and got the medicine along with an encouraging message. It was sweet, and so _Shiemi_ that Izumo couldn't believe she had ever been surprised. Now it brought a smile to her face.

Three weeks in, and the poison had not resurfaced. As far as Okumura-sensei was concerned though, better safe than sorry, and she had to agree.

Her second-to-last visit had Shiemi almost avoiding her, saying that she was very sorry but she had homework and couldn't wait with her, contrary to all the times she had done it in front of Izumo.

"But, Moriyama-san," she started, more on impulse. She had no idea how to continue, so the sentence was left there for a few moments. "…we have the same homework. Maybe I can help?"

"You… you want to huh? Then, come on," she smiled that sparkling smile again.

It turned out, knowledge about tamers and common chants was useful, and Izumo privately cheered. One more way to repay the save. But Shiemi still looked bothered.

"I thought you didn't like me," Shiemi said, downcast.

"It was hard to… to get close. To people. You're always so sure that if we just try enough, things will be okay." Shiemi looked at her in surprise. "That could never include my life. But hey, it did. It did turn out almost alright. Better than most scenarios I could think of. So, you may be right."

"So, you like me because I was right?"

"I do like you," Izumo said with certainty. "Hope… is something I never thought I'd have. So, it's not because you were right, but because you, somehow, even when I rejected it, gave me hope."

"I like you too, Kamiki-san. You're a really good person," she said, grinning. That was when her mother came in, luckily for Ozumo who rushed to hide her reddening cheeks.

That night, she couldn't sleep at all. How could she have said so much? Revealed so much? It was just frustrating, how every time she tried to get a grip around Shiemi, it didn't work.

And Paku, that traitor, she had just started laughing knowingly while getting ready for her date.

…

"This is your last one, right?" Shiemi's mother asked. Izumo nodded, kind of put off that Shiemi herself wasn't there. Sure, they'd see each other in cram school, but it wouldn't be the same. And she kind of really wanted to read her encouraging words.

"Here," the shopkeeper said, giving her the usual package. "Shiemi mixed it herself, with my supervision of course, a few minutes ago."

Izumo's heart gave a strange little jump.

"Thank you, really. Tell her that too."

She was pleasantly surprised to see that Shiemi still had left a message.

_Kamiki-san, I got a phone, and I wanted you to have my number, if you don't mind. Call me if you want. :)_

Izumo stared. And stared. And stared some more.

_"Moriyama Shiemi here, who is it?"_

"It's me, Izumo. I'm… how do you feel about going out someday? Like, next week maybe?"

_"…As friends? Or …as something else? I've already misunderstood something like this before."_

"How would you feel if I said 'as something else'?" Izumo asked, masking her fear with confidence.

_"Honestly? Not too ready. But… I want to. I really do. So, if you want to too… then, next week does sound okay."_

Izumo's smile the next day may have terrified their classmates, but Shiemi just smiled back.

She knew the smile was meant just for her.


End file.
